It’s quite common when you live abroad that you suddenly notice something weird going on with your health.
Just last week I received an email from Sally, an expat for many years who had been dealing with hair thinning. She had tried some things on her own, without results, so she did what most people do: she went to see a doctor who ordered some tests. When the tests all came back normal she was told nothing was wrong with her and she was advised to just take some extra vitamins.
Yet despite that “clean bill of health”, Sally knew her hair loss wasn’t normal. Her hair volume had reduced by 50% in a span of a few months, it had become noticeable and it was affecting her self-confidence. In addition she was worried about what was going on inside her body that caused this.
Many of the people I work with come to me with a similar experience. They feel something is not right but they can’t find the answers. And it leaves them feeling frustrated and worried and it interferes with their ability to fully enjoy their expat life.
Here’s the bottom line: if you are experiencing health issues or symptoms, no matter what your doctor or your test results say, you can assume that there are underlying imbalances which need to be addressed.
Sally and I arranged a call to talk about her health history, her current issues, her diet, lifestyle and her goals. I did look at her test results, but through a functional lens, looking for clues and connections and how they correlated with her symptoms.
I explained to her that my job is not to diagnose or treat disease but rather to help correct internal imbalances with the help of diet and lifestyle changes. I mentioned that some of her lab test markers pointed at imbalances and nutrient deficiencies, which correlated with her symptoms. This actually made her feel relieved. She wasn’t going crazy after all!
As a next step we will be putting together a step-by-step plan for Sally that includes optimizing her diet, streamlining lifestyle factors, improving digestion and absorption, supporting liver and detoxification and strengthening her immune system.
This approach will help Sally build a strong foundation for her health and to help her reverse her thinning hair.
You don’t have to walk around with nagging health issues that are supposedly “part of life.” When your doctor or your lab tests tell you nothing is wrong with you and you know that that’s not true, go with your gut. You’re the best judge.
If you feel you could use help with getting your symptoms sorted, schedule a Free Nutrition Breakthrough Session here and let’s see if I can help.
Be Well!
Monique
